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Author |
File Description |
Dwiggs |
Posted on 04/22/04 @ 01:03 AM (updated 05/14/04)
DwigMod 3.0 is the latest version of DwigMod; a general mod description follows the "what's new" listing below, for those of you who are completely unfamiliar with the mod. :)
<<<< So what's new in version 3.0? >>>>
DwigMod has evolved a *lot* since version 2.1. To touch on some of the new features in brief:
---> Heroes are a larger focus - stronger, diversified, and fun to develop (stock up on your polearms!)...
- Heroes have been strengthened and redesigned; class and race now play a huge role in skill acquisition. Warriors are now not only viable, but quite brutal, gaining strong stats and a variety of melee skills; Rangers master combat from afar; Rogues make use of their usual trickery; Paladins blend the mighty and the magical; and Priests and Shamans are the only heroes who can cast spells.
---> Slower races have been given more siege/movement options...
- Transports are more plentiful, and the slower transports have had their movement rates increased; in addition, any race can tag along on their Pioneers and Builders, which serve as makeshift transports.
---> Sieges have been improved, adding more offensive-siege options and reducing the defender's (previously huge) advantage...
- Ranged attacks have had their ranges and ATT values carefully tweaked, and Marksmanship rules have changed - the "standard" is now +1 Marksmanship on Gold, rather than +1 for every medal. (Some units retain the "quick" rate of Marksmanship gains, such as Elven Longbowmen.)
- Halflings and Goblins can smash down gates with their cheap, easy-to-build Lobbers; the Rot spell can now rot away gates; Crash Gates and Wind Ward are more accessible than before; several units have been redesigned to be used as siege support.
---> Level 4 units have been redesigned to take into account the time and difficulty of nurturing and "teching up" a city...
- All level 4s have been completely revamped, and are now strong units overall (both in stats and in abilities). They are also proportionately more expensive, with most costing around 400-480 gold; they may remain rare, but even a single level 4 should be far more fearsome now.
---> The "invisibility" problems that affected DwigMod 2.1 have been toned down...
- Several previously invisible/highly units have been redesigned, and Invisibility itself is reserved for special cases.
---> The spell system has been re-examined...
- Summons are cheaper overall; many unit enchantments are cheaper or slightly stronger.
- All enchantments and domain spells have been re-examined and categorized into much neater upkeep ratios.
- Various spells have been tweaked for balance.
---> Units have also been re-examined and tweaked, of course...
- Willpower is slightly more prevalent, especially among strong units that are common site-defenders.
- A few more units gain some fun medal abilities, especially summons (e.g. the Air/Earth/Water Elementals).
- Many units have been redesigned or tweaked for balance purposes, or just to make them a bit more fun to use.
- Unit descriptions have been updated. Not every unit has a new description, but many do, and all should now match any changes to the unit (I hope!).
---> And much more!
Please check out DwigMod 3.0 -- it's been a labor of love, the product of months of work and playtesting -- and I hope that it will bring some of you at least a fraction of the enjoyment that I've derived from it myself. :) The documentation is now included in both .XLS and .HTML formats, for those of you who don't have access to Excel and would rather not download a free Excel viewer. :)
<<<< general DwigMod description >>>>
DwigMod is a Shadow Magic mod that adapts many of the game's rules and settings to achieve the following goals:
- Widen the number and diversity of viable strategies, as well as that of individual units (especially low-level ones) via game mechanics rather than "ability overload".
- Increase the focus on city management and infrastructure, widening the gap of strategic value between developed and undeveloped cities (closer to AoW1).
- Attempt to bring the focus of unit production more towards army composition rather than towards single/massed killer units.
- Break away from the "polearm/archer/swordsman/cavalry" progression and make each race feel more unique, play differently, and provide different challenges.
- Reorganize the entire spell system to make higher-level spells more valuable, and to widen the variety of useful spells overall.
- Increase the usefulness of seldom-constructed buildings within a city's infrastructure.
- Further diversify the races via racial priests, pioneers, and builders (some with the ability to construct watchtowers).
- Overall, to make the game more replayable and fun, but without bending it into something silly or difficult to adapt to for those who've played "normal" SM. :)
Documentation is included in bot .XLS and .HTML format, and includes installation instructions, a listing of the changes included in DwigMod, and full data charts for Buildings, Racial Bonuses, Units, Spells, and Abilities.
This mod is the result of many, many months of work and a ton of playtesting; my friends and I play the mod exclusively, and my main goal is to ensure that the mod improves on each aspect of Shadow Magic as much as possible to bring out the best in the game. I hope it provides as much fun for you as it has for us; I welcome all feedback and suggestions either in the forums or via e-mail at dwiggs9000@hotmail.com. :)
- Dwiggs |
Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Tom Bombadil |
Posted on 04/26/04 @ 04:09 AM
Rating: 5
If you like playing "no champ guild" or "no sanctuary" games, then this is the mod for you.
I enjoy these types of games because when lev. 4s are game options people tend to stockpile them and hold up until they can exert overwhelming force on other players. The counter to this is to rush someone who is planning on building them.
Since I am not a big fan on rushing, that means that I have little choice but to build up my forces accordingly.
Dwiggs has done a great job in changing all of this. The traditional "no champ guild" game is not a great counter, because high level units still make their appearances through summons. So the game switches from a hording lev. 4s into a hording lev. 4 summons, game. In dwiggs mod, he has address both situations. Summons are more difficult to come by, as are the charished lev. 4 troops.
Dwiggs has also done a great job in making every race more unique. Nomads, for example, differ from most races because they are faster. Elves, because of their forestry and concealment. Goblins for their growth rate. Dwarves for their machines. Undead for their ... er... undeadness.
Great Job Dwiggs. This is definitely what the aow community needs to see.
Additional Comments: This mod may not be for everyone. If you are into big troops that can crush everyone, it is probably not the mod for you.
But for those of us who like to have a long, slow paced game it is great. Because of the cost for the troops and the low production points, you really cringe every time you lose a troop.
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lucretia96 |
Posted on 04/26/04 @ 04:33 AM
"Dwiggs has also done a great job in making every race more unique. Nomads, for example, differ from most races because they are faster. Elves, because of their forestry and concealment. Goblins for their growth rate. Dwarves for their machines. Undead for their ... er... undeadness."--Did you just fall off a tree or something? This was in the original game! What the hell are you talking about?
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bigben34 |
Posted on 05/05/04 @ 01:41 PM
Rating: 5
I think I may have been the one who popularized online multiplayer no champ-guild games, so this mod is for me!
Additional Comments:
I only played it once, but it was a lot of fun to see what each new unit could do.
I really liked the new economic system, I think it was a bit higher quality than the origina.
Still a lot of balancing/tweaking to do, so watch for this mod to continue to improve, as a lot of good players are giving their input for modifications! |
SteveB |
Posted on 05/16/04 @ 02:35 PM
I've played the game only a couple of times, but it looks good with some surprising abilities for some units!
Only thing I found odd is that some evil heroes pay 5 points for 'Holy Weakness'. Should a weakness cost skill points? |
S BattleAxe |
Posted on 10/15/04 @ 09:02 PM
Rating: 5
This mod is to me an almost perfect alternate to AoW: SM. I could go on about how much I love it but I wont, it would last quite a while, so if you have not tried this mod, try it right NOW.
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ffsky |
Posted on 01/02/08 @ 09:30 AM
okLiked too! |
nickemagi |
Posted on 05/02/09 @ 10:09 AM
Hi.
I'm new to AOW SM and i do wonder how to open DwigMod in editor. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 4,024 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 533.09 KB |
Added: | 04/22/04 |
Updated: | 05/14/04 |
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